Painting my nails, hanging on his messages—I’d acted like a little girl.
This was what happened when you got too close to people. They disappointed you.
The next day, after checking in with my dad about his pitiful bowling game, I went to work, bypassing the coffee shop just in case Alec was there. Whatever, or whoever, had kept him so busy last night had apparently taken up most of his morning, too. He had my number, but I didn’t hear from him.
My first two sessions at Rave were new clients—a prenatal massage with a woman in her second trimester, and a marathon runner who was rehabbing a torn hamstring. Both of them were delightful and signed up for follow-up sessions.
I had finished remaking the table and was taking the dirty sheets to the laundry room when Amy popped in. Her hair was in pigtails this morning, and she was wearing a slinky black dress with a low neckline that exposed her nonexistent cleavage. Boobs or not, she was sizzling.
“Either it was so good you’re speechless, or it was so bad you’re hiding under someone else’s laundry.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “Whatever the case, you’re avoiding me and that, my minxy little friend, is unacceptable.”
I wasn’t avoiding her; she hadn’t been here when I’d arrived this morning. Although if things had gone well, I probably would have called, or snuck out between sessions to tell her about it.
I threw the wet sheets into the dryer.
“Neither,” I said. “It didn’t happen.”
Her arms dropped to her sides. “What do you mean? You were at the restaurant when you texted me.”
“Yes, but he wasn’t. He didn’t show.”
“Oh.” She shuffled through the sea of dirty sheets on the floor between us and threw her arms around me. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Anna.”
I rested my head on her shoulder and sighed. There were only a handful of people who were aware of what I’d been through in my childhood, and she was one of them. Amy knew just how painful it was for me to be stood up.
“It’s okay,” I lied. I’d spent the night watching movies curled up on my couch because I couldn’t sleep. Today I was exhausted, but at least I’d traded feeling hurt for being pissed. Anger was so much easier to deal with.
“It’s not. Let’s slash his tires.”
A laugh bubbled up inside of me. “I don’t even know what kind of car he drives.”
“Then we’ll egg his house.”
“What are we, fifteen?” I pulled back. “And anyway, I don’t know where he lives.”
She kept her hands on my arms, rubbing up and down. As terrible as I felt, I was so glad to have her here. If I’d been living anywhere else, I would have dealt with this alone.
“I can’t believe he didn’t even call. What a prick.”
“He sent a text,” I said. “Half hour late.
Sorry for the late notice, let’s reschedule
. Something like that.”
“Well, that’s something.” At the look on my face, she scowled. “But not enough. I still hate him.”
“Good.”
She picked up a clean sheet out of the wicker basket and helped me fold.
“Come over tonight. We’ll have ice cream and throw darts at pictures of my ex.”
I smirked. Amy’s divorce had hurt her pride more than anything else. Once she’d fallen in and out of love more than anyone I’d ever met, but that was before she’d been burned.
“Sounds perfect,” I told her.
“Anna, are you back here?” Derrick slipped through the door. When he saw the look on my face, he stuck out his lower lip. “Oh, no, boy drama?”
“How did you guess?” I started the dryer and poured the lavender-scented detergent into the washing machine.
“Believe me,” he said, placing a fist on one cocked hip. “I know boy drama. And I’m about to add onto it. You’ve got a delivery up front. The card doesn’t say Melvin Herman, but I made the delivery guy stick around just in case you want to send it back.”
I slumped. “Great. Probably an apology for my four-star salute
This was what happened when you got too close to people. They disappointed you.
The next day, after checking in with my dad about his pitiful bowling game, I went to work, bypassing the coffee shop just in case Alec was there. Whatever, or whoever, had kept him so busy last night had apparently taken up most of his morning, too. He had my number, but I didn’t hear from him.
My first two sessions at Rave were new clients—a prenatal massage with a woman in her second trimester, and a marathon runner who was rehabbing a torn hamstring. Both of them were delightful and signed up for follow-up sessions.
I had finished remaking the table and was taking the dirty sheets to the laundry room when Amy popped in. Her hair was in pigtails this morning, and she was wearing a slinky black dress with a low neckline that exposed her nonexistent cleavage. Boobs or not, she was sizzling.
“Either it was so good you’re speechless, or it was so bad you’re hiding under someone else’s laundry.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “Whatever the case, you’re avoiding me and that, my minxy little friend, is unacceptable.”
I wasn’t avoiding her; she hadn’t been here when I’d arrived this morning. Although if things had gone well, I probably would have called, or snuck out between sessions to tell her about it.
I threw the wet sheets into the dryer.
“Neither,” I said. “It didn’t happen.”
Her arms dropped to her sides. “What do you mean? You were at the restaurant when you texted me.”
“Yes, but he wasn’t. He didn’t show.”
“Oh.” She shuffled through the sea of dirty sheets on the floor between us and threw her arms around me. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Anna.”
I rested my head on her shoulder and sighed. There were only a handful of people who were aware of what I’d been through in my childhood, and she was one of them. Amy knew just how painful it was for me to be stood up.
“It’s okay,” I lied. I’d spent the night watching movies curled up on my couch because I couldn’t sleep. Today I was exhausted, but at least I’d traded feeling hurt for being pissed. Anger was so much easier to deal with.
“It’s not. Let’s slash his tires.”
A laugh bubbled up inside of me. “I don’t even know what kind of car he drives.”
“Then we’ll egg his house.”
“What are we, fifteen?” I pulled back. “And anyway, I don’t know where he lives.”
She kept her hands on my arms, rubbing up and down. As terrible as I felt, I was so glad to have her here. If I’d been living anywhere else, I would have dealt with this alone.
“I can’t believe he didn’t even call. What a prick.”
“He sent a text,” I said. “Half hour late.
Sorry for the late notice, let’s reschedule
. Something like that.”
“Well, that’s something.” At the look on my face, she scowled. “But not enough. I still hate him.”
“Good.”
She picked up a clean sheet out of the wicker basket and helped me fold.
“Come over tonight. We’ll have ice cream and throw darts at pictures of my ex.”
I smirked. Amy’s divorce had hurt her pride more than anything else. Once she’d fallen in and out of love more than anyone I’d ever met, but that was before she’d been burned.
“Sounds perfect,” I told her.
“Anna, are you back here?” Derrick slipped through the door. When he saw the look on my face, he stuck out his lower lip. “Oh, no, boy drama?”
“How did you guess?” I started the dryer and poured the lavender-scented detergent into the washing machine.
“Believe me,” he said, placing a fist on one cocked hip. “I know boy drama. And I’m about to add onto it. You’ve got a delivery up front. The card doesn’t say Melvin Herman, but I made the delivery guy stick around just in case you want to send it back.”
I slumped. “Great. Probably an apology for my four-star salute
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